Herby-Zesty Shortbread Cookies

This buttery, snappy shortbread cookie is even more delicate when made with Janie's Mill Silky Smooth Pastry Flour. Fresh herbs and lemon zest add lightness to this rich cookie and you can combine different herbs and zests for endless variations!

Yield: 15-20 cookies

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour for chilling the dough

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick or 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 cup packed herbs such as mint, basil, sage, or lemon balm
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 egg yolk (save the white for later)
• 1 1/3 cup (160 g) Janie's Mill Silky Smooth Pastry Flour
• Sprinkles or raw sugar for decoration

Instructions

1. Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat on low speed until incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finely chop your herbs and add them, along with the lemon zest, to the creamed butter mixture. Add the egg yolk and mix until just combined. 
2. Add the flour and stir until there are no dry spots remaining. The dough will be in large crumbles.
3. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and form it into a log about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Wrap it firmly in the parchment paper and twist the ends shut. Refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to slice, about 1 hour and up to 3 days.
4. Heat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the surface of the log with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle the sheet of parchment paper with sprinkles or raw sugar and roll the log in the sugar to coat it. Slice the log into ½-inch rounds. Lay the rounds on the prepared baking sheet at least ½ inch apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are golden at the bottom edges, rotating once halfway through baking, 18 to 22 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.